More than 144 million Americans’ medical information was stolen or exposed last year in a record-breaking number of health care data breaches, a USA TODAY analysis of Health and Human Services data found.
Cyberattacks on hospitals disrupt patient care and pose risks to patient safety. Surgeries are canceled or rescheduled. Patients and ambulances get diverted. Patients’ protected health information and personally identifiable information are exposed. When clearinghouses and health care payment systems are targeted, billing and payment issues can persist for months.
“It’s just going to get worse,” said Errol Weiss, chief security officer at the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
Read the full article in USA Today here